Gas-engine



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. H. CLARK.

GAS ENGINE.

Patented Aug. 1'7, 1886.

lie|

T-IEIl-u (No Model.) f 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- J. H. CLARK'.

GAS ENGINE. No. 347,469. Patented Aug. 17, 1886.

N. PEYERS, Phawmnagnpmr, vlamingen D.

(No Model.) \\4 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. H. CLARK.

GAS ENGINE.

lq VE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

J. H. CLARK.

h GAS ENGINE.

(No Model.)

Patente-d Aug. 17, 1886.

UNiTED STATES PATENT erica.

JOHN H. CLARK, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO OLIVER AMES, OF EASTON M ASSAOHUSETTS.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part o Letters Patent No. 347,469, dated August 17, 1886.

Application iilcd September 12. 1885. Serial No. 176,921.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit knownthat I, JOHN H. CLARK, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Gas-En-` gines, of which the following description, in

connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

Thisinvention has for its object, generally,to improve and simplify that class of engines op erated by gas, and known as gas-engines, the gas being produced by the volatilization of usual hydrocarbons, and being :mixedwitli atmospheric air.

In the class of engines upon which this invention is an improvement the gas. has been dashed or ignited in one end of a cylinder at one side of a piston therein, and the movement of the said piston intothe other end of the cylinder has acted to supply the air to be carbureted, the opposite end of one and the same cylinderl serving :for both the lire and the air. This form of construction has proved objectionable, owing to the fact that gases escaping by the piston into the air-cylinder tend to destroy the lubricant employed therein and render the valves inoperative; and so, also, in this form of gasengine the air is most compressed when the piston is at or near the end of its stroke, which necessitates a very heavy ba1 ance-wheel to insure steadiness or regularity of motion. This class of engines has also been provided with an independent air-pump, but under such an arrangement4 that the air-conducting pipe leading from the pump to the iire'cylinder was so long as to result in cooling the air so much as to destroy its efficiency.

In my invention the air and fire cylinders are formed in a single casting, the cylinders being side by side, but, as herein shown, they are not in the same line, and the shell of the said casting has by suitable cores been provided with waterchambers, the casting thus becoming a one-piece j acketed casting. Making the cast-ing for both cylinders as an integral piece, the contraction and expansion of the exterior of the casting, and also those parts of the cylinder in which the piston reciprocates, are uniform, Whichwould not be the case if the jacket or outer portion of the casting were in a separate piece. Making the casting,

(No model.)

including the cylinders and jacket, in one piece insures equal expansion, and obviates leakage of water into the cylinders between the casting and the two head-plates therefor, in which latter are placed the air and gas valves, to be described.

I have provided the engine with a novel pump and valve to control the quantity of oil delivered into the engine, and I have also provided the engine with a novel valve tov and Water, contained in a box in which the said cranks rotate, into the iireeylindcr, below the piston therein, thus keeping the iirecylinder and piston properly cooled and lubricated. The quarter-cranks are joined by connecting rods to pistons placed, respectively, one in the tire and the other in the air cylinder, the centers of which cylinders are at opposite sides of the center line of the crankshaft, such location in a single-acting engine affording a more direct thrust, and gaining in leverage.

Figure 1 is a plan View of a gas and air engine embodying my invention;V Fig. 2, a front elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a rear elevation of Fig. 1, the oil-tank being broken out to show its safetyappliances; Fig. 4, a sectional elevation on line x a; of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, adetail of the one -piece casting containing the cylinders; Fig. 6, a detail of the oil-pumping apparatus on a larger scale; Fig. 7, a sectional detail of the bonnet orburner on a larger scale; Fig. 8, an under side view of Fig. 7, with the intercepter' removed; Fig. 9, a top or plalr view of the case containing the exhaust-valve and passage, and the water-passage to keep it cool; Fig. 10, a section of Fig. 9 inthe dotted lines fr x; Fig. 11, a Aright-hand side elevation of Fig. 10, with the cap at the right-hand side thereof removed; Fig. 12, a detail of the IOO sprayer on line z .s of Fig. 5; Fig. 13, a detail ofthe diaphragm regulating the stroke ofthe oil-pump; Fig. 1t, a sectional detail of part of the shaft, and Fig. 15 is a sectional detail of the sleeve and cam thereon for operating the valve for admitting compressed air into the bonnet. Fig. 16 is a partial section of Fig. S on line ai.

The main shaft A of the engine has its tapering journals supported in bearings A at opposite ends of a box, A, herein shown as containing water and eil, as at A, the water and oil therein being used both to cool and to lubricate the Vlire-cylinder a, to be described. The sprayers A", connected to the cranks at, have faces 3, of suitable shape (see Fig. 12) to dip at each rotation of the shaft A into the water and oil, lift and throw the same as a spray into the lower end of the lire-cylinder a, below the piston a.' therein, the said piston bcing joined by the conneetingrod a'l with the crank c ofthe shaft A, a second crank, bcing joined by the cenncetingrod a5 with the piston c in the air-cylinder al, the crank c* being about ninety degrees distant from the crank a. The two cylinders ay and a7, or the cylindrical chambers in which the pistons a and a are rcspectivel y arranged to reciprocate, are made in a single casting, l), (represented in top view, Fig. 5, and in section, Fig. 4,) the center of said cylinders being at opposite sides of the center linc of the crank-shaft. lith such arrangement ofthe shaft A and cylinders (l, a" it will be seen that the thrust of the connecting-rods Il ff', when their pistons a'a are doing work, is more directly in the center line of the cylinders than when said pistons and their conncctingrods are not doing work, and the more direct the thrust the greater the leverage gained and the less the side strains. This casting has formed in it by coring large water-chambers b, entirely surrounding each ofthe said cylinders` thewatcr introduced into the said chambers b coming therein through a pipe, b2, in the head b, and thence into the chamber b at the port b4, (see Fig. 4,) and thence the water rises in the said chamber b around both the cylinders in which the pistons a and a reciprocate, the entering water, while yet cool, first acting on the air-cylinder al, which it is especially desired to keep cooler from an economical point, the water as it becomes heated in its passage through the chamber Z/ issuing through the port D5 into the head b of the fire-clyinder, the hotter the water therein and surrounding the casting hohling the bonnet, the hotter the air which cnters therein to bc carbureted.

Tater may be introduced into the chamber l/ so slowly as to be evaporated therein, and the steam formed be passed out through the port bf' into lhe head b of the lire-cylinder.

The head b of the air-cylinder el has an inwardly-opening inlet-valve, c, normally kept closed by the spring o', and an outwardlyclosing outlet-valve, ci, normally kept to its scat by a spring, c, the seat of the latter valve being herein shown as held in place in the head b" by the screw-plug c". The valve c is in comnmnication by a passage, c, with the pipe c, having branches c7 c, the latter provided with a valve, c", entering the air reservoir or tank d, the pressure of the air therein being indicated by a pressure-gage, d. 'lhe branch pipe cT contains a throttle-valve, d2. The short pipe d at one side of the said valve is in comniunication with a cored passage in the lire-head b, rllhc passage is open to permit an outlet at the top of the said head, and on the said head is secured the bonnet l,(see Figs. 7 and 8,) having at its under side the throat di rlhe piston c, when drawn into the air-cylinder, takes air through the inlet-valve, and at its opposite stroke forces the said ai r through the outlet-valve into the pipes c", el, and c, the excess of air not required for carbureting purposes being forced into the air reservoir or tank d, where it is kept under pressure in the usual manner.

rlhe oil to be used for fuel, it being contained in the tank c, is drawn therefrom by the pump c`l through the pipe e', the lower end of which is extended well down into the said tank into the pump c, the pump having an inlet-port, c", and a port, c4, which is entered by the piston c, joined by a two-part or socketed connecting-rod e with an eccentric, el, keyed to the pumpshaft e.

The connecting-rod referred to is made in two parts, one part consisting of the sleeve f, connected to the plunger c by a screw, f/, the sleeve being entered loosely by the other part, f2. The slecvef and the upper end of the part f2 are both slotted to receive a wedgeshaped regulator, f,joiued with a lever, j", (see Figs. 3 and 13,) pivoted at ff', the said lcver at one side of its fulcrum being acted upon by a pin, f6, moved by a diaphragm, f7, arranged in a case, f, connected with the pipe g, in communication with the air-pipe c, the leverf* andthe wedge-shaped key being made to occupy dierent positions longitudinally in the said sleeve, and with relation to the slotted rod or part f ,to thereby automatically lengthen and shorten the stroke of the plunger e5, in accordance with the pressure of the air in the tank d, thus automatically regulating the quantity of oil supplied in accordance with the work to be done or power required.

Referring to Fig. 6, the wedge-shaped regir later f3 is shown with its broadest part as in the sleeve f, and inline with the upper end of the part f2, and in such position the stroke of the piston c5 is the greatest. )y moving the regulator f3 to the left from its position, Fig. 6, the narrower portion will be placed in the sleeve and next the end of the part f, and as said part f 'l is moved by the eccentric there will be a certain amount of lost motion before the partf2 strikes the rcgnlatorf, and consequently the eilcctive stroke of the piston c5 will be shortened and less oil will be pumped from the tank c.

IOT)

The lever f4 has connected to it a spring, fm, which keeps the leverup to the pin ff and the latter pressed against the diaphragm fl.

The pump has a sliding valve, g', attached to the valve rod g2, which is reciprocated through the eccentric g3 on the shaft es. The valve g', shaped somewhat like a D-valve, is arranged to permit the inlet e and the space e* to be in communication when the plunger e5 is drawn from the pump to thus enable oil to be drawn from the tank, and thereafter the valve is moved into the posi'- tion, Fig. 6. As the plunger enters the space e4 of the pump, it acts to force the oil therefrom into the space gJl and alongI ont through the outlet g5 into the pipe g, (see Figs. l and 3,) in communication with the passage gl in the bonnet, the oil tlowing into a wick, h, held in an an nnlar groove at the lower side of the bonnet d, the crown of the bonnet having a series of Nair-passages, hl, which lead from the wick-giipove into the annular space h2, only one of siich passages being shown in Fig, 7. The annular space 7b2 is herein shown as communicating with the oil-passage gl by a capillary passage or opening, hX, and by means of which passage or opening a small quantity of oil is conducted into the said annular space, thus carbureting that portion of the air in the annular space h2, which passes by the circular flange m and through the center of the intercepter 0. The crown of the bonnet is also provided with passages h, onlyone of whichis herein shown in Fig.16,said passages connecting the air-chamber dD with the annular groove containing the wick 7L, the said passages supplying air to the combustion-chamber o, (see Fig. 4,) to maintain a continuons flainein said chamber.

In practice the bonnet will be provided with va series of vertically-moving pins, h, located above and in line with the air-passagesh, the depression of the said pins preventing the said air-passages from becoming stopped by th'e accumulation of dust and oil, the said pins being normally withdrawn from said passages, as shown in Fig. 16.

The annular space h2 receives air from the air-chan'iber d5 ot' the bonnet whenever the valve ht, connected with the v-alve-stenil, pivoted to the lever h, is raised through the action of the link a, pivoted to theangle-levern, the latter having at one end a roll or pin, a?, which is acted upon once during cach rotation of the governor-shaft a5 by a t-apering cam, n3, attached to a sleeve, n", (see Figs. 3, 4, and 15,) arranged outside of the governor or shafta, which is made hollow, the said sleeve being joined by pin a to a rod, n, extended through the governorshaft longitudinally, and e011- nected by pin nl to a second sleeve, a5, which has joined to it by pins n (see Fig.` l) the links m of the. governor G, the other ar1ns,m, of the governor being pivoted, as usual, to the end of the hollow' shaft a5. The pin a, connecting the rod a with the sleeve n4, moves in a slot in the hollow shaft a5, (see Fig. 14,) as

does also the pin nl, connecting the rod with the sleeve as, to which are attached the governor-arms. The governor, by its change of position, owing to variations of speed, moves the cam n3 longitudinally, so that more or less o f its tapering surface is made effective in moving the lever a', to thus insure the opening of the valve h4 for alon ger or shorter period during cach rotation of the main shaft. thereby permitting more or less compressed air to escape from the chamber el of the'bonnetinto the annular space h2, and through the wick h, part of the air so permitted to escape from the bonnet being made by the concave lips m of the valve hL to im pinge against the inclined wall 2 and be deflected down against the intercepter o, which is composed of two perforated metal plates having between them a layer of fine-meshed wire-gauze.

The intercepter (shown best in Fig. 7) is of usual construction,- and the air is so deflected and directed across and against its npperside as to keep the intercepter clean from the soot and its holes open, which is a matter of very y considerable advantage.

The valve It* is kept seated by means of the springs o', acting between the roof of the chamber d5 and the head o2 of the val ve stein.

The head bf of the fire cylinder has a combustion-ehamber, o, provided with an ignitionbpening, o", which is normally closed by the gate o5. (See Figs'. l to 3.) The gas arising from the ignition of the carbnreted airescapes through the outlet o into the fire-cylinder e and forces the piston before it, turning the crank-shaft A. The exhaust from the firecylinder passes through the outlet o7 into the easel), provided,as herein shown,with a swinging valve, p', connected with a rock-shaft having an arm, p3, joined bya link, p", which, as herein shown, has a strap, p5,which surroundsv an eccentric, p, attached to the governor-shaft a5, the saidvalve being moved to uncover the outlet-passage p7 for the proper escape of the exhaust. The case'p (see Fig. l0) is shown as chambered at r to receive water, the latter entering the said chamber before entering the pipe b2, heretofore referred to.

rlhe crank-shaft is provided with at-oothed gear, a", which engages a gear, r2, connected with androtating the governor-shaft a5, the shaft e8, carrying the eccentrics for operating the oil-pump, and its valve must be rotated by hand when the engine is to be started, and todo this the said shaft is provided with a handcrank, r3.

rlhe pipe e', connecting the pump el with the tank'e, is extended through the oil to near the bottom of the tank, as shown in Fig. 3, an inlet-pipe, r", also extended to near the bottom of the tank, affording means for filling the said tank, acover, T5, closing the month of the.

said pipe. rlhe oil-tank is also provided with openings p, which permit the volatilized oil to escape into the atmosphere, and to insure perfect safety the said openings may be covered with wire-gauze, so that if the gases issu- IOO ing from the openings ignite the flame cannot penetrate or enter the tank.

The crankshaft A has the usual balancewheeld, and d rivingpulley l, mounted upon and rotating with it.

The feature herein described as to the direction of the ilow ol' water through the chambers surrounding the cylinders will, it is obvious, be advantageous, even were the shell not in one piece, as preferred, but was composed of two pieces, with the waterchambers suitably connected.

By the term qual-tering, as herein cinpleyed with relation to the cranks, I mean cranks not set coincidently with relation to each other, or in direct opposition to each other.

I claim- 1. The one-piece cast-metal shell b, containing the independent air and ire cylinders ci and a, and provided with the \\'ate1cbainber b', surrounding said cylinders, and having the inlet b* and outlet b5, all constructed and ar ranged substantially as described.

2. The one-piece cast-metal shell contain ing the independent air and fire cylinders, and provided with the water-chamberb, and having an inlet, b", and an outlet, b", combined with the chambercd head b3 of the air-cylinder and its inlet and outlet valves, and with the chambered head b" of the Iire-cylinder, the said head having a combustionchamber, substantially as described.

3. In a gas-engine, the main shaft provided with cranks set qnartering, substantially as described, and the shell containing the fire` cylinder and the air-cylinder, both located therein, with their centers at opposite sides el' the centerline ol the crank-shaft, combined with the pistons a and a', and the connectingrods a? and a, to operate substantial] y as described.

4. rlhe box Al, to contain water and oil, and the crankshaft and its attached sprayers, combined with the fire-cylinder, into which the water and oil are thrown by the sprayers, substantially as described.

5. rlhe bonnet provided with theair-chamber d, the annular space h, and annular wickreceiving groeve and wick therein, and the air-passages h, connecting the said space and groove, combined willi the valve to control the admission of compressed ai r into the said space and passage and through the wick, all substantially as described.

6. The bonnet provided with the chamber di' to contain compressed air, and having a second chamber provided' with the inclined walls 2, combi ned with the i ntercepter,and with the valve having the eireularlangcm, whereby the air permitted to escape from the chan1- ber ofthe bonnet is made to cleanse the intercepter and keep the holes therein open, substantially as described.

7. The hollow governor-shaft a5, the roda6 therein, the governor having its arms connected with the said shaft and rod, the sleeve, and the tapering cani connected with the said rod and made longitudinally movable with relation to the governor-shaft, combined with the bonnet, its valve h4, and the leverh", and with means, substantially as described, to operate the said lever and Valve from the said cam, as Set forth.

8. The oil reservoir er tank, the pi pe c', the pump provided with passages c c, and the plunger, and means, substantially as described, to regulatcthe stroke of the latter, combined with the valve g', and with means, substantially as described, to operate it.

9. The fire-cylinder and exhaust-outlet oT and case p, combined with the pivoted exhaust-valve p', and with means, substantially as described, to positively automatically open and close the said valve.

10. Thehead of thc lire-cylinder, the easel), provided with chambers to contain water, combined with the exhaust-valve p', surrounded by said water, and means, substantially as described, to positively operate the said valve, as and for the purpose set forth.

1l. The bonnet, its wick h, and the oil-pump supplying oil te the said wick, and pipe c', combined with the oil-tank provided with the safety supply-pipe r, extended to near its bottoni, and with vents p, substantially as described.

12. In a gas-engine, the safety oiltank consisting ot" the reservoir e, and the supply-pipe i" for said reservoir, and extended to near its bottom, and the discharge-pipe e', also extended to near the betteln 0l" the said reservoir, and vents pl, to allow volatilizcd oil to escape into the air, substantially as described.

13. In a gasenginc, a cast-metal shell having two passages to constitute cylinders, and having surrounding water chambers, combined with a chambered cylindcr-head,the said head and shell having ports or passages, substantially as described, whereby the cooler water first enters the said chamber at the aircylinder side of the shell, and then flows into and through the irecylinder side of the shell, thereby eiTectually cooling the air-cylinder, substantially as set forth.

14.. The bonnet provided with the air-cham ber d5, the annular space h2, the annular wickrceeiving groove, the air-passages h,connect ing said space and groove, the oil-passage h', and the airpassages 7i, connecting the chamber d with the wick receiving groove, combined with the valve to control the admission of air into the space h2 and passage h", and with the pins lf', to free the passage h, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof` I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN H. CLARK.

Vi tncsses:

GEO. XV. GREGORY, Jas. H. CHURCHILL.

l'OO

IIO 

